


ect

by ParanoidAndroid (HomesickAlien)



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Multi, does anyone even still check this tag i hope so lol, miscellaneous all game spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:00:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27202144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomesickAlien/pseuds/ParanoidAndroid
Summary: short fic dumping grounds. chapters labeled with theme/ship.
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Emma | Gemma & Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI), Graig | Hendrik/Homer | Jasper (Dragon Quest XI), Hero | Luminary & Yggdrasil (Dragon Quest XI), Marutina | Jade/Sena | Serena
Comments: 9
Kudos: 13





	1. yggdrasil + eleven

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted so badly to spend my previous months on this hell planet of ours writing cool, long fics with lots of excitement. Unfortunately, I have zero motivation and a slowly depleting will to live, so this is all I can offer.  
> These are just short things with no beginning or end or any particular setting, please eat them like candy. Someday I’ll write something cool.
> 
> By the way, I don’t plan to leave the note on every chapter cause I’m lazy, but comments are always encouraged even on trash. My thanks for reading and well wishes to you all are also a given, please take care.  
> Lately, I’ve been using both they and he for Eleven. As always, wherever Sylv shows up I use “Sylvia,” and she/her pronouns. That’s all from me.

This mark is the visionless string that stitches their souls together.

Just below her eyes, a small raised abrasion his fingers dance over, it matches his own birthmark like two hands that fit perfectly together. Two hearts that beat in unison; Two drops of dew in the river; If ever he felt alone, the heavy burden of the  _ hero  _ rested on his shoulder, her guidance would just as well cast away all doubts. An elegy of light and dark, the contradiction of a love yet defined, that for him to actually stand in her presence is still a bit overwhelming to say the least.

But, it is equally so comforting. Just as is the warm glow that resonates with her touch. She’s given him so much in such a simple gesture; A thousand heartfelt memories and visions of a world he’d never imagined to see. And now, in a time of silence, there’s so much more to recount. So many endless possibilities that can’t be confined to what might push the story forward, like a marionette cut from the strings.

He sighs with a smile moving backwards, sliding past the marking beneath the dragon’s eyes to follow the trail of her endless beauty. These soft scales decorating her neck, across the rugged patches of her back, down to the softness of her tail which wraps around him. It encapsulates his entire body.

He feels his whole head is empty of thought, but one word comes to mind;  _ Beautiful.  _


	2. luminerik / piercing

“Does it hurt?”

This _hero_ has always been a touch strange.

Some things have come to be expected, and others not so much. Despite having the image of a savior, he lacks a presence, something that surprises even the thief Erik. It’s only the initial encounter that’s startling, however; Eleven is always clinging to Erik regardless of circumstance but especially in times of leisure. It’s a magnetic bond, really. Wherever the hero enters, swiftly they attach themself to Erik. A cat that retches their body in the most asinine ways to find comfort.

In today’s case, it’s tugging on Erik’s ear. Their eyes sparkle with curiosity, despite his age it’s one only a sheltered country boy could manage. 

“Only when you pull on it like that.”

Erik laughs, and poorly attempts to distract Eleven’s hand with his own. It’s a touch too intimate, even when there are no boundaries between them.

“I’ve had them since I was a kid, so it’s not really something I pay attention to anymore.”

“Really? Did it hurt then?”

“Does it matter?”

The hero looks away in mindless thought. “Not really…” He mumbles more like he doesn’t hear his own thoughts. They’re fully functional on the inside, coming out totally jumbled when spoken. Troubling, they do speak anyway. 

“At the armor shop today… I got something…”

It’s easier to show than tell, so Erik waits patiently for Eleven to dig through their bag. It’s infinite only in theory, but it does take some time to find what they’re searching for. He’s got a pretty good idea, anyway, but he indulges in his partner if only to maintain this closeness.

“Look… Aren’t they cute?”

Although rhetorical, Erik nods with a smile. _Slime earrings,_ even if he does genuinely agree, that sort of thing hardly suits his image. Between the three of their party that can even wear that kind of thing…

“They’d look cute on Serena, wouldn’t they?”

“No, no… I want to wear them.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

Payback for earlier, Erik pulls at Eleven’s bare earlobes. Not that it would be an impossible request to fulfill, but he doesn’t see the hero as the type to really want to go through with that sort of thing.

Determination is a powerful motivator, though. Whatever it is that’s driving him, the eyes of the luminary shimmer bright; strikingly, even… 

“It doesn’t hurt.” Erik sighs, releasing the hero’s ear. “Gotta take good care of it, though.”

Eleven laughs— “Aren’t I the one who takes the best care? Everyone in town is always saying: _Aren’t you too pretty to be a hero?_ Should I have asked fate for a do-over?”

“Let’s start with saving the world, Luminary. Say, maybe a new look will make you feel stronger, too.”

 _That’s exactly what the merchant had said…_ Well, it probably suits Erik to have a good sales pitch. Surely, he and Derk must have pawned off loads of junk back in the day. Still, Eleven likes to think he’s not _totally_ gullible; He’d definitely only picked them out for the aesthetic, but maybe that is exactly what he needs to boost his confidence a little.

_Just a little bit…_

He clutches the box tightly with a smile. Perhaps, the only reason more selfish than that burning his ears is the thought of matching with his _partner._ Even the title is somehow embarrassing, but so is _Luminary._ So is their name when it’s coming from Erik. 

There’s a reason the two get along so well, beyond even a fated union. Just as Erik puts all his faith in the Luminary, Eleven will put their trust in Erik. 

At least, for a moment, before he feels the cold touch of a dagger’s steel tip to his earlobe. He grips his ear in his hand, falling over with a yelp.

”I thought you said you wanted them pierced?”

A dreadful grin, from a terrible thief boy. _Some partner..._ “You know that’s not—”

“Yeah,” he says, holding out a far more minuscule needle. “Like this, right? Well?”

They take a moment to regain their foolhardy confidence, holding their head in their hands and then shooting back up. “Right...!” They say, snapping a flame to their finger tips. “Just like that!”


	3. serejade // cake date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally a part of a much longer fic, now scrapped.  
> initially, it was something i wrote because i wanted to see serena interacting with erik and everyone else more, something like “erik helps serena to learn how to bake cakes and eleven pushing her and jade together,” ...or something, but it never really came together. Actually, in reflection, Jade is also a good cook, and probably there is a story for Jade and Serena bonding like this which I filtered in, but I really love friends and Erik and Serena have a cute friendship. So, sometime, I want to see more of that too, but for now I will spread the serejade agenda. Women? Holding Hands? It’s More Likely Than You Think!

Visitors are a rarity for her; It’s not that she has no desire to see old friends, or that they wish not to see her, but…

Running her hands through her hair for what must be the tenth time this afternoon alone, there is no small responsibility on the shoulders of a queen. Truthfully, she knows more the bonds of a knight than the delicate princess, and there are times she considers hiding under one of their helmets and running off to see the world once more, but…

_Perhaps it would be best to take a walk around the castle…_

She’s getting caught up in her own fantasies secluding herself in her quarters day after day. Though, just as she were to swing open the great, oversized castle doors, an unexpected wanderer fiddles about just outside the hall. For some time, she imagines, working up the courage to delicately knock and let it go unheard, Jade catches her attention by her beckoning voice. 

“You surprised me.” A smile rests on her face as she waves welcomingly. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m sorry I’ve been so busy…”

“N-Not at all!” Serena gestures, suddenly self aware of the box in her hand, she settles down— “I’ve also been rather busy myself, you see…”

“A gift, is it? I haven’t received something like that out of the blue in ages…”

Serena waltzes all the closer, there’s a look of pride in her eyes unbecoming of someone of her nature. It is nice to see her so motivated.

In the time when they had all parted, it was impossible for any of them to tell what would become of one another. Their futures had never been so wide open, with so many opportunities; If anything Jade thinks she hadn’t taken enough advantage of those carefree travels they’d come to just after returning the peace, but before departing. Not that she wasn’t eager to come home to her father and tell him all the memories and stories of her growing up, but she’d been the most duty bound of all, hadn’t she?

She’s falling into the pit of her own train of thoughts, again. She almost misses Serena’s explanation: “It’s a cake!” She exclaims, holding out the thin box wrapped delicately in foil. “I made it myself, I thought you might like to be the first to try it.”

Serena doesn’t mention sharing her failed attempts with their old partners. Not that Jade thinks to question it, she moves awkwardly around Serena out the door and beckons her to follow to the dining area. It’s far too large for just two people, but that’s the nature of royalty and their castles. It’s only good for flaunting wealth, for a moment Jade wonders if she’d even think twice about it if she’d grown up here like she’d been born to.

Perhaps it’s supposed to be a fantasy of young girls. She had had such a thought after taking peaks over the shoulder at the fanciful novels Serena once busied herself with on their travels. But this particular aspect is one she can’t help being overwhelmed with after years of living frugal. 

She and Serena settle down across from one another, with dining wear and two slices, eating mostly in silence. Rather, she’d like to eat in silence, but the way Serena glares at her, perhaps unconsciously, is anxiously anticipating her critique. Her analysis of the taste, the texture, the execution. She’d decorated it quite lavishly for what’s expected of a simple dessert as this. Lots of bright fruits she’d carried separately so as to retain the structure on the journey to Heliodor.

And it’s for that anticipation that Jade takes her time with every bite, savoring the light, milky flavor. To truly understand how Serena’s been, where she’s been, and all her wishes and joy that’s spilled into the icing between the layers of her love… 

“It’s a cake from Gondolia.” Serena says, abruptly, then touching her lips as if she hadn’t meant to speak at all. Though the floodgates have already been opened, and her words burst out an unfiltered mess one after another.

“The recipe, I mean. I thought it might be best to start with something small, and well known, and the sweets from Gondolia are my absolute favorite, and—”

“To start with?”

“Th… That’s right.” She pauses, looking away a touch forlorn. “The years have just been flying by since we had gone our separate ways, but I have yet to accomplish anything of my own since then.”

“Is that so?”

“When we were traveling together… We had a _girls date_ in Gondolia…”

A sudden memory comes falling like a star. This had been the first time she’d ever gone against the wind. She hadn’t thought of it in such a way before, even when she had been wracked with guilt leaving the boys to their own troubles and all. But by the hardy immaturity of her sister, and the boldness of Sylvia to even offer a moment of respite, to refuse would have been a great loss for all of them. It would have been… 

“You weren’t there for that.” 

“That’s alright,” Jade hums, setting her fork on the now half-empty plate. “I had plenty of wonderful desserts on my travels with Rab, though.”

“It’s not about that… It’s about sharing memories, and… And…”

Somehow, she can’t seem to find the words to express her feelings. Maybe, in this world, there are none to describe such a sentiment. That short-lived happiness, quickly overturned by their circumstances back then… Despite everything, it’s a place she can’t stop her mind from wandering back to with a smile. The taste, the scent, the scene of their precious joyful expressions; She had even regret not pulling the hands of Erik and Eleven to indulge in it with the three of them.

“I want to open up a shop like that. A place where people can make memories together.”

Jade closes her eyes to smile, leaning back into her chair. _What a simple wish,_ she thinks, so suited for one who’s absorbed herself in the fantasy of a storybook. Why, Jade wouldn’t mind daydreaming of such a thing, herself. She’d never even considered it, what she’d do were she not born to be the queen. 

Even with all this worldly experience gained from traveling, the thought had never once crossed her mind. She looks up to the ceiling so high it might as well be touching the sky…

“I understand. Even if you borrowed the recipe, the taste is entirely yours.”

_Sweet, and fragile._

With a loud, bustling voice of her heart, even if she can’t spit out the words, the taste of her compassion fills the layers between. And dusted on top is a promise for her tomorrow, and hers alone.

“That’s a very pretty dress.” Jade says, turning the topic on its head and bringing a warm glow to Serena’s cheeks. “I’ve never seen you wear such a thing. It suits you.”

“I-I… That’s…”

For a moment, she had been so caught up in wishing to hear Jade’s thoughts she had forgotten the entire evening prior. The embarrassment of being catered to so heavily… Perhaps that’s something a performer like Sylvia might be used to, but to one so reserved as her?

Well, they’d all become rather accustomed to the ‘retired,’ hero’s spoiling when it came to clothing, but that was, supposedly, meant to be armor. She’d never considered the fashionability, what one wears on casual outings over formal ones… She’d gotten to hear the thoughts of all of those present— Eleven and Erik, of course, as well as Erik’s sister, and even the hero’s mother had come and chipped in her ideal date dress.

They’ve all got quite different tastes, but in the end, Eleven always silently takes the lead. They offer her one of their newer dresses, and guides Erik meticulously on how to do Serena’s make up. She doesn’t really like the feeling, and wipes off most of it, but after that she had enjoyed the way Mia and Eleven’s childhood friend had futzed with her hair. Her patience is without words, all through the evening they’d tried many styles to decide the best for the morning. All the time spent sitting still had been perfect for adding one more book to her _completed_ collection, but equally drained her energy for this special day.

Truthfully, she’d struggled to wake up on time. If not for magic, she’d surely not have made it to Heliodor at all.

And now, despite everything, she feels disheveled, as though even one stray hair might ruin her entire image. Of course, Jade would never even mention such a thing, where does such a heavy worry stem from?

Suddenly, the word _date_ springs back to mind. 

“It’s not too extravagant is it? I’d worried about wearing something so luxurious to meet with an old friend…”

“Not at all. It’s befitting of a castle visit, you look like you could even take my place.”

She wonders, briefly, if that’s a joke or a genuine offer. Decides on neither when Jade continues on without any hesitation.

“That is... You’re a long ways from home, after all. Were you thinking of traveling some more, or settling down somewhere for a while?”

She ponders the question for a moment. Truth be told, she’d left Arboria again on a whim, and only by the blessings of Yggdrasil found herself in this moment. Though it’d be nice to revisit the tastes of Erdrea, someday she’ll have to cultivate her own sweets if she’s to open shop. Erik had said the same: _It’s impossible to sell a poor imitation._

And suddenly, it clicks.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to travel together again? Just a short while.”

“Instead of a _treasure hunt,_ it’d be like a _sweets hunt.”_

“And then, after that, I could open up shop in Heliodor.”

“In Heliodor?”

Just a minor slip. She closes the door before it opens.

“...A traveling shop. I’ve always been very good at walking.”

Jade thinks not to inquire further, just the thought that Serena sees more talent in her walking speed than her magic is enough to put her in a fit of giggles. Even if it’s just a little fantasy, the thought is wonderful enough. She did say she was thinking of a walk herself, this afternoon, hadn’t she? With a smile, she nods her head as if to seal the deal.

“Let’s do it, then. Just the two of us.”

Serena nods with her, a face with a resolve Jade hadn’t seen in her before. Maybe, along the way, Jade will be able to grasp such confidence in her own future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [eleven voice] queer eye for the dragon quest guy


	4. mia act 2 spoilers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally a part of a much longer fic, now scrapped.  
> it’s a bit of a strange concept, but i wanted to explore more of mia’s depths from act 2. Generally Speaking, I am always writing under the context of act 2 because I prefer how certain characters stories play out, but mia’s is particularly underwhelming in act 3 lol  
> there’s a small content warning here for emeto, trauma talk, im bad with warnings so please read cautiously.

She often has trouble sleeping.

Not because of poor nightly habits, or bad dreams, but a wired brain that sees only the infinite canvas of the ceiling, so plain and unremarkable it eventually has to snap. An image, a snapshot, a single flash of a dreadful memory that lasts less than a second. Or the blink of her eyes.

But like a photo, it imprints, and suddenly it’s all she sees. The sharp teeth of a monster, with claws that hang just over her head, waiting patiently. A statue unmoving, or maybe the reflection of a mirror. _So beautiful,_ just like gold, yet by her touch the paint smears from the canvas, and what’s left is only the sickening taste of temptation. A solemn symphony for the devil.

It was her own weakness, and years of watching the infinite canvas before her spread farther, wider. Painting various images of sunrises and sunsets, a still-life motion picture. In that shell was no protection, and where the armor cracks, where Snifleheim returns to its original frigid beauty she bitterly recalled it to be, what is left is little more than a life without cause.

Right now, still— A life without cause.

She never had to play the role of the villain to have these regrets. It started with a bird, after all. It started with two children.

Whenever the eyes close, she sees images of things that can’t be relayed in words. However the story plays, there’s never any closure to be found. No satisfactory ending, but neither is there disappointment; Here and now, there is nothing at all, but time wasted. And time lost.

As the birds in the morning call another sunrise, her ears ring so painfully even in lethargy she’s forced to sit up and hold her head in her hands. It’s always the birds, banging against the window they foolishly fly into. Closer to purgatory than she is to Hell, if it isn’t the cacophony of cawing outside it’s the feathers scratching in her throat. She could throw it all away in a single hurl, she drinks a water off the nightstand instead.

For her brother is a mistake, and repentance, and for her is nothing but the traumatic repeat of a wakeless nightmare. It’s not him she can’t forgive, but herself. 

That’s why she’s here, is it not? A normal girl in a school of normal girls. She’s lost enough years to make her all their senior, but the mask is already tight enough, now. She’ll perform another graceless show, where the screaming child is left to resolve one’s own trauma, and failure is expected. 

Such is the nature of those rowdy boys and girls. Maybe today she’ll find her step.


	5. serejade

In the moment, she looks so picturesque.

Like the image of the princess in a novel— _well,_ Serena supposes, she is exactly a princess in a novel. 

Her head is rested up against a tree just outside of camp. The setting sun highlights her features elegantly, and leaves a soft glow through the stray strands of her hair. As lovely as she looks, if she continues sleeping out here she’s sure to catch a cold.

So she reasons, but as she leans down before Jade, she troubles herself to wake the sleeping beauty. Captivated by her gentle expression, true peace that’s found only in dreams, her expressionless smile is as warm as the sun to her back. Perhaps it really is the setting to a romance novel, perhaps it’s only fitting to wake with a…

 _No, no no…_ She shakes her head aggressively to rattle out the thought. This is real life, still, hardly a fairytale; It wouldn’t suit her to be so unreasonably bold.

She places a cold hand to Jade’s cheek instead, enough on its own to wake anyone, but she pushes a little anyway. “Jade, you must be getting up.”

Jade groans while scrunching up her face for a time, before begrudgingly opening her eyes. 

“I… I didn’t mean to fall asleep out here.”

“The weather was lovely today, wasn’t it? Why, I would have enjoyed taking an afternoon nap myself.”

“It’s far from afternoon, now.”

She chuckles, pushing herself up off the ground. After a quick dust off, she offers her hand to Serena, and after a momentary pause for Serena to swallow her feelings, she takes it kindly. _So warm…_ A sensation that would only last a moment burns itself into memory, as she walks a step behind Jade back to camp in casual smalltalk, she holds that hand closest to her heart. 


	6. mia + luminerik // act 2 spoilers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a part of a much longer fic, now scrapped.  
> i have a lot to say about this one, but i have a hard time properly expressing it. way back, my first dragon quest fic i published, i wrote the line, “performing for a show he hadn’t rehearsed.” i still think about it often. i find it difficult to express the full range of my feelings when it comes to gender, wherever you go there’s only two boxes, even when you are in a room of people who don’t wanna be in those two boxes, they’ll look at you and decide one of two boxes. the people who read this will see the words used to describe these two characters, and put them into a box arbitrarily based on my language, the thought of that is heavy on my mind lately.
> 
> please chose your boxes wisely.

She hears a familiar voice outside the door, along with some fumbling and futzing that speak to the clumsy person behind it. She doesn’t need to waste guesses, aside from her classmates— who aren’t here— there’s only two people that might come stop by for a visit, and only one that ever actually does. 

“Heyy〜 Mia!! Open up.”

Although they do knock, they’re not one patient enough to wait for a response. They’ve already chosen to tear down her misaligned barriers, the bricks that are busted and cracked easily fall over with the slightest winds. 

“I have a delivery for the most wonderful little sister in the world!!”

The old hero has two personalities of note, that seem to have split off and diverged since saving the world. Maybe, it’s because he’s had so much time to himself he can finally start find a balance for himself. That’s just an observation from Mia’s narrow perspective, but the hero is always the loudest when they can put on the mask of a show and swallow their true face whole. In some ways, it’s just an exaggeration of what they can’t normally express, and Mia can’t say she doesn’t understand at least a little bit how he feels. 

“From my actual brother or from you?”

“Both!” The hero smiles, holding out in front of him a small package. “When you send letters to Erik, you keep addressing them to my place. A good excuse as any to settle down together for a while, isn't it?”

 _It’s just convenience, isn’t it?_ Her brother doesn’t really have a _home_ in that sense, but it’s obvious to her as anyone else where he’ll end up calling it.

As she takes the package and sits on the edge of her bed, Eleven follows suit. He fills the room with his presence, one might suppose it’s a benefit of being true to ones self, but Mia is just as loud, and just as boisterous, and just as confused by who Mia is and who the girl that’s lost several years of her life is. Who are the performers and who are the directors, she’s still too young to really say.

In a way, it’s easier for her at the academy, than trying to find her way in the whole of the world the way Eleven once did, but…

“All that effort… Have you even tied the knot yet.”

“Of course not.”

Despite those words, they look up at the ceiling with stars in their eyes. _Sometimes, it’s easier not to have a word for it._ The way he says these things, it’s as if the potential for it to happen isn’t even there.  
 _Are you really happier that way?_

To Mia, who’s never really had a friend before, the need for clarity is often understated. She’s lost more than Eleven can reconcile, although perhaps those months spent as a fish give them enough of an idea. Certainly far from his happiest days.

And even if he says there isn’t a word for his relationship with her brother, it’s clear they understand the words only the heart tells. For her, there are neither words nor feelings to express the thought— _Girlfriend, girl friend,_ the only difference between the two is the space between the words.

“I’m a little jealous, you know?” Eleven smiles, “Even though I was a student in name, I was still _the hero_ first and foremost.”

She’s pretty sure there’s layers to that statement she’d rather not dig into, and responds justly.

“You wouldn’t last very long in a place like this. Too stubborn. Too dense.”

“That’s cold, sis!”

Unphased by anything, despite his words, and though she only has the most minimal concept of the rest of the hero’s friends, the hero themself seems to have taken that image from all of those around them. Where does the web end and the spider begin? Every dew drop that settles is also a part of them. Small, insignificant, reflective, empty, and cold.

She lets go the thought when Eleven speaks again.

“He said to tell you _happy birthday,_ you know. Erik gets lonely, too.”

She feels so inelegant, fiddling with the gift in her hands, somehow she can’t bring herself to open it infront of him. Eleven’s never been particularly delicate either, but they were also a student _in name only_ after all; Honorary, they say often. Honorary. 

“In the village, the kids really treat me like some washed up old hero, you know? But they call Erik _bro_ and all… Even though I’m the younger one here? Don’t you think kids are really—”

Mia covers his mouth with one hand, “You really talk too much.”

“That’s just what happens when you get old. Now that I’ve got all these stories to tell, no one wants to hear them.”

Even with a hand over his mouth he can’t seem to stop, like a grandparent that’s gotten their first visitor in years. That’s just the kind of performance they’re putting on today, standing as if to leave once again they pause for some time. That soft hum he always offers when deep in his own thoughts, and then with a point of his index to her heart he speaks again.

“If you want to find your true self, you’ve got to start planting the seeds. Even if a few never sprout, with enough failure one is bound to cultivate.”

As is to be expected of a weirdo; This one is partial to strange metaphors. All that time to think, and this is the best he’s got after all. But, running her fingers over this gift, she thinks she gets the gist of it, at least. 

He’s trying. Both of them are. 

“It’s no wonder the kids treat you like that. How old are you again?”

“It’s a secret.”

“My brother turned twenty-five recently, right…”

“Time sure flies, doesn’t it! Gotta head home and start dinner and all…”

“Do you even know how to cook?”

“Don’t get into any trouble, will you~?” Eleven sing-songs, already one foot out the door, but still dawdling. “Be sure to brush your teeth after you eat. And have lots of fruits and vegetables. And be sure to exercise everyday. And—” 

“Geez, now you’re starting to sound like the shitty one!” She says, pushing him forward out the door, then with a short pause, she whispers; “Hey…” 

A long, unending silence before the chasm. She wonders when she’ll be ready to make her leap of faith, if she can really find herself in such a small place. If she can make her own friends, and find a reason to rise each passing morning.

She wonders if she can find that thing her brother did: _Forgiveness._

“Tell that horrible brother of mine… I’ll come visit around the winter time.”

She closes the door on his face before he even has a chance to respond. For the better, even though Eleven is supposed to be the laid back one, it’s hard not to be a little sentimental with family. 

Erik is a real worrywart, sometimes. Sensitive might be an understatement, really. _Do you think she’s doing okay?_ He scrutinizes her letters a lot in his excessive freetime. _Do you think she’s eating okay? She’s kind of difficult…_

Eleven smiles to the door before making his way outside. _He worries too much…_ She seems even better than when they’d said their farewells before. He’s sure she’s had a lot to think about, too. If she can find her footing, a reason to live… Hey, they’re still kind of searching for that, themself. Even after settling down, it’s hard to accept that he’s got nothing much more to do with this mark on his hand, or the affairs of Erdrea anymore than spare a passing thought. 

The mundane is unsettling, but she’s bound to find something to hang on to. If nothing else, she’ll always have the two of them— _That’s what family’s for._ People to rely on, without fear or doubts. 

Mia scratches at the tape that’s holding together such a flimsy package. She wouldn’t expect much from her shitty brother, but she’d thought that hero person would be the type to be a bit more flashy. Maybe it’s just the ease of open, she gets it apart without much effort at all.

“........”

_Guess I shouldn’t have expected any less._

It’s a uniform, though quite a bit different from the one she’s wearing now. Not far enough from its origin to get her into trouble, she thinks... For the most part, anyway. Besides the shorts, rather than a skirt which she’s really not much fond of herself.

_This weirdo spent all day working on it, so you better wear it._

A note left behind in its packaging. Underneath Erik’s words is a scribbled out salutation, that overlaps to the point of near illegibility. _Good luck, Mia!_ She crushes the paper in her hands.

These damned idiots… 

Although Eleven was the first boy-like student at the academy, he doesn’t mind the things girls mind. He doesn’t mind the frills and the skirts, he might have trouble with the heels a little bit. Who doesn’t. She doesn’t like to wear that kind of thing at all. There’s never been a need for a _boy-like_ uniform even for a boy-like student, but the now ex-hero has the imagination to create anything. 

Despite herself, she feels a touch more elegant when dressing carefreely. Maybe, it’s not so bad here. Maybe tomorrow, she’ll say good morning to her classmates loudly.


	7. Hen/jasper act 3 switch spoilers

He leaves his kisses into thin air.

Could there be a God he might grace selfish prayers to for a momentary reunion? There are so many people he longs to dance with, once again, and embrace the memories of absence, but here on the castle’s roof only one spirit wanders so close to the edge. 

The grip over this pendant is painfully tight. If he were here right now, he’d be scolding Hendrik for such a thing, but no one walks this plane without a desire to be loved in some way. As friends, as allies, as knights bound by their bond…

Of course, they’d never managed past that hurdle, but memories of such flings and immature infatuations remain. 

He’s getting far too old now to cling to first loves. Despite that, or impartial at least, he troubles himself to think of any he’s ever loved the same. If that feeling could even be called love, throughout the long years they had been alive together, the subtle feeling has come and gone as ocean waves might. In some years it’s infatuation over the moon, in some years it’s a bond bound by pledge, and in some it’s the grateful feeling that anyone might understand the pain of being alone, as Hendrik and Jasper do.

In truth, perhaps it is because of great suffering the two could never understand one another at all. Try as one might, it’s impossible to reckon another’s hurt as one’s own, but perhaps there was something they could have offered to maintain solace. Where Jasper could have asked, and Hendrik could have listened— Where there is silence, no one is to blame. 

At least for now, this quiet respite is enough. As he visits his second home, and toasts a tiring glass of wine to old friends, the weight of the world seems to lessen still. 

He’s grasped onto something he never thought he might. The Jasper he’d known well in his youth must be hiding a smile somewhere in the ever-after. 

Just the thought brings a smile to his own face. Though he couldn’t possibly take a sip more without having to fight off the desire to sleep, surely Jasper will enjoy what’s left. A subtle kiss by the glass’ rim, before returning to the tree of life… 


	8. luminerik

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there was fanart like this once, but this came to me as a joke. there is a short bonus attached to this one set post game without spoilers.

“ _Lovestruck,_ huh… Who does she think she is?”

He’s always complaining about something. Maybe that’s just the nature of boys, at least the ones who are excessively conceited. It’s especially endearing now, though, still bemoaning his own losses. Or, just the critique.

“Distracted by her legs? What’s with that?” He rubs his arm a little, “That girl seriously wasn’t holding back you know.” 

Definitely the loss. The hero smiles just a bit, fixated on the ground wherever they walk. It doesn’t do much to disguise their feelings when it comes to allies, and least of all their partner, but they’ve yet to break the habit at all.

“I have nice legs too, you know.” 

The hero boasts with unearned pride. He gauges how much he’s joking by Erik’s reaction, as per usual. He isn’t quite so bold as he’d like to be, although every passing day together makes it easier. 

“Seriously… I won’t lie, you’re stronger than you look, for the luminary and all, but…” Erik laughs at even the thought, he tugs a little at the hero’s pants by the side, “Martial arts and sword fighting are pretty different, wouldn’t y’say?”

“...No way. I could totally do it.”

Now it’s a challenge. The hero likes challenges, he likes quests, and he likes the reward that comes with them. In this case it’s little more than self-fulfilment, though. 

They stop abruptly their walk, hand on Erik’s shoulder so that he halts, too. Waltzing forward just a bit, he kicks up his leg as if to strike, but only manages to reach just below his abdomen with a bent knee. In his defense, the pants aren’t doing him much favors, they’re heavy, he’s suddenly realizing. As if to save face, he grabs his own leg to pull it up higher, above his head the way Jade does, but it’s not long before he starts losing balance. Hopping on one foot, making all kinds of ridiculous grunts just before falling backwards... 

“Hey, careful—” Erik grabs Eleven before they totally collapse, one arm around their backside and one gripping their wrist. There’s no way he’d manage otherwise, “Geez, some _luminary…”_

Erik pulls the hero’s wrist so he might stand up properly, though they quickly bend over to sigh with relief. _That was really uncool…_ That’s his first thought. That is his first thought, but… 

_That was…_ The mind wanders back to the blink-of-an-eye moment of being held in Erik’s arms. His eyes, his face, the way his touch had felt…

“That was a great success.” 

They say it outloud without thinking, and still he can’t say he minds at all. 

“Let me try again!” 

This time, it’s totally on purpose, fully prepared to fail but when they straighten up they realize Erik’s already walking well ahead.

“E— Erik!!”

The hero is already so out of breath, racing to catch up. A pain in the ass, as always, but even still…

_How close was his face… His gentle expression… The touch…_

Even a small success is still a success.

＊

“You’d have to be pretty flexible to perform on stage, right?” 

Erik tugs at Eleven’s arms’ enough to think he might pull them out the socket. Not that the hero’s ever been particularly acrobatic, but after such a journey, one would easily fall into the trap of lazing around in a state of recovery. That is, at least, his personal justification, but..

“I’m just filling innnnn….”

His words trail into whining, desperate to prove his own worth and at least touch his toes. It’s only been a few minutes, but his body’s aching is vocalized like this. If Erik weren’t holding their arms, they’d have fallen over on their side by now and given up. The idea of performing on stage were like a dream when they’d all been traveling together, but right now he’s starting to feel another evil rising up would be easier faced.

They’re only a little jealous of Erik. Although it’s probably to be expected of an ex-thief, he doesn’t have any problem with stretching his body out when Eleven pulls him forward in return. They almost want to let go, fall onto their back so they don’t have to see Erik’s taunting grin any longer. Almost, but…

_Ah._

Erik’s the one who let’s go first, pushing himself up with his hands to press a kiss against Eleven’s lips. Those kinds of casual gestures should come naturally, living together off and on for such a time, but it still feels about the same as the first. Embarrassing, for one, even if no one’s around to see it. But what’s more embarrassing is the grunt let out by being tugged forward once again so suddenly. 

_“Ah, ouchh ow ow ow…!”_

“Even if it’s just filling in, you should take it seriously. I’ll be in the crowd too, you know.”

That’s right. It wouldn’t do to fail their partner like that. Isn’t that exactly the vows they’d made to one another? It’s good to rely on each other, but this is far from what he had in mind.

Even still, it’s a testament for what one can do. Eleven also has the strength to steal kisses, but now distracted again by the endless pain in his abdomen, it’d be best to stay focused on the task at hand. Until he can do it properly, and perhaps even perform regularly… 

That is, it’d be wonderful to show off after years of mulling previous losses; Erik isn’t at all the only sore loser between the two of them.


	9. gemma + eleven (early game cobblestone)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want gemma and her infinite supply of medicinal herb and mp restore to come with me on my hell journey.

_If there’s one thing a boy should never do, it’s see a girl cry._

That’s something his mother told him once, some time ago when the two were little. Not that Eleven’s ever been one for listening, anyone in Cobblestone could tell a traveler that. Still, he chooses not to peek through the window, instead knocking on the door knowing Gemma won’t answer.

“I’m going to leave soon.”

He says, to no response. Well, there is Sandy’s barking beside him. He tried to quiet her down with his hand scritch-scratching her ear to no avail. Waiting patiently for the old girl to settle, he knocks on the door again.

“Say, say, aren’t you gonna see off the most dashing knight of Cobblestone?”

That earns him a soft laugh, at least. He’s certain she’ll come around before he heads off, but it’d be nice to have one last private moment together. Actually, he has a request he’s sure she’d reject if not here-and-now while the rush of their coming of age is still high. They’ve got so much to look forward to, a vast world beyond the sea to learn from. After last night, in his heavy dreams…

_My child, you carry a heavy burden_

_The voice of an echoing abyss resounds in the darkness. Before a great dragon, before a great tree._

_A long and arduous journey ahead of you—_

…It’d be a shame if only one of them could see it. 

It’s not long before his mother is calling for him, pulling at his arm, embarrassing him with her unconditional love. Kisses to his cheek and tight hugs that he might die on the spot; A danger greater than those little slimes on the Tor, for sure. But he’s grateful to her, and he feels a newfound motivation to protect this small village. If only to retain his mother’s joy, he’ll do his best to do Cobblestone proud.

As fast as he can to Heliodor, so he can return to his mother’s stew, and mess about the river with Sandy and his dearest friend once again.

“Wait—!”

Ah, there it is. He smiles at the sound of her voice, there’s no way she’d leave him hanging. And just as he were about to set off…

“Take this with you…”

He takes her gift in his hand, holds it high above his head with a strange look about his face. _It’s pretty…_ He wonders if she got any sleep at all last night, working on this, he can see the places she rushed in, all the unique little touches of her hands.

“I’ll be sure to return it soon.”

It’s a promise he won’t be letting up on; As soon as he leaves, he’s quick to turn himself back around. Sneakily, just like when they’d cause mischief to the other townsfolk as kids. She’s still close by the exit of town, and he taps on her shoulder eagerly, “You…?” He presses a finger to her lips, hushing her. 

It’d leave him with a bad image if the others saw him turning tail so quickly. 

“Here.” He whispers, holding out his hand and placing the charm back into hers. “It’ll keep you safe from the monsters, I hear.”

“M, Monsters?”

A bright look sparkles in his eyes, as he tugs at her wrist.

“I’ll be getting lonely traveling all by myself.”

She hesitates, only for a moment, before that familiar smile of their childhood creeps onto her face. She’s just like him, just as anxious to see the world, to leave a mark that speaks of her existence in this place, this time. 

“How’s about taking on the title of _second_ most dashing knight of Cobblestone.”

He says, cheeky as always.

She covers her mouth to keep from laughing, pushing him by the shoulder blade so they might sneak out unnoticed. “I’d say if I’m going on my own journey I’d best be shooting for number one.”

Although barely above a whisper, her shaky confidence is brimming. It wouldn’t take much to outshine him, he might have been a spoiled child, but when it comes to strangers he’s not much use at all. It’d be nice to have someone close to home more than gripping a pendant for support. 

Although, he won’t be letting go of that charm anytime soon, either. He’ll share the luck between them until the journey’s end. 


	10. Hendrik + Gemma // Jade + Jasper + Hendrik (Act 2)

Perhaps, if fate were kinder to them, this is how he would have raised the princess.

He were just a child himself, back when she were born, and yet he’d already been going on and on to Jasper how they’d take care of the kingdom, and protect their dearest princess. At the time, Jasper hadn’t been so keen on such a thing, as if he were never an infant in his life, and turning up his nose at the thought… But as they’d all grown older, he had just as well come around to it. 

Of course, those happy days were never meant to last, and just as soon as they’d all been getting along better, the foundation of his love had crumbled.

_“J-Jasper!! What do you think you are—?!”_

_He had heard a slight commotion in the outside garden where the two of them once trained, but he hadn’t expected to see the same image of Jasper and the little princess. She’s even got a few scuffs on her face, why, the king would never forgive them for such a failure at all!!_

_“Sir Hendrik!”_

_“We’re supposed to be protecting the princess…! What if you hurt her…? What if…”_

_His thoughts trail off as he’s struck by the wooden blade; It doesn’t do any damage, of course, but still, now he’s at two failures of a knight._

_“You left yourself open, Hendrik…!”_

_“Impressive. She’s already proving herself more useful than you.”_

_Even if it’s a casual jab, it stings a little to think he might leave such an opening for an attack. Even in times of peace, a knight should be on his guard, shouldn’t he? He wants to be stubborn about it, but he supposes it wouldn’t do to put clouds over the princess’ bright face._

_“Of course we’d made our vows to protect the people…” Jasper says, “But surely there will come a time when we aren’t around to guide the princess, so we should teach her all the things we’ve learned.”_

_So that she can choose her own path… Goes unspoken, but somehow Hendrik understands. Even if he wants to coddle her, it wouldn’t do any of them to have a princess without any life skills._

_And even so… Even so…_

It wouldn’t do him well to dwell on the past; He won’t forget, so as not to make the same mistakes, but he won’t let it devour his soul either. Surely, the princess is still out there, and surely there’s still a candle lit in Jasper’s heart… He has only faith to cling onto.

And right now, of course, he can live that belief that alls well; Hardly ideal for her, he imagines, but nothing soothes the soul like the clash of steel against the blade.

This girl might surpass him yet, or maybe his age is simply catching up to him. She manages to catch him off guard, her sword touched against the edge of his sternum. 

“I’m really sorry.”

She says, out of the blue, laying down her sword with a regretful face. She’s really not the fighting type at all, not that she doesn’t wish to aid her old friend, or defend the people of what was once her home village, but… 

“I hope you aren’t hurt any, Hendrik?”

Even as she asks, she’s already pressing a medicinal herb to his chest. He’s a serious type, always with a stern face, but he offers a gentle push away to silently say _I’m well._ Though she hasn’t any magical mending, she’s always the first to offer up her healing even when their allies are barely even hurt. They don’t have the rations for that kind of worrying. But, he supposes, when it’s the first you’ve seen your family and friends in some time, it’s hard not to go overboard with it. 

“A true knight should train as though their life were on the line, Gemma.”

“Yes… That’s right!”

She perks up a little, readying herself again. Keeping her diligence, surely there will come a day she’ll surpass him yet. He hopes she doesn’t have to, though; If possible, he’d like to make amends for this mess on his own accord. Although, her eyes are just as determined. Without a true _hero,_ there’s nothing left to fill the empty void left by the Lord of Shadows. She has her own grievances; that’s what binds them all, really. And gives them a reason to fight.

And even still… Even still… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this empties my drafts for the most part, perhaps there will be more garbage to throw out in the future. 
> 
> Thank you for indulging, nothing makes me sadder than writing things I can’t share. That’s what makes writing fun, after all. Please be sure to stay safe and smile a lot as Sylvia would want~


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